THREE MEN with strong Croydon connections have combined their talents to produce a book for youngsters, and to help youngsters.

It tells the story of a bear called Cheshire who loves not honey, but cheese. It is written in chirpy rhyming style by John Henty, who went to Whitgift School, South Croydon, and was a broadcaster with the BBC, and the distinctive illustrations are by Alex Noel Watson, an international cartoonist and illustrator who lives in Purley.

The third man has specially recorded an accompanying CD of the book. He is the actor Martin Jarvis, also once a pupil at Whitgift School, who is particularly famed for his recordings of the Just William stories, and the Jeeves and Wooster tales by P.G. Wodehouse.

The idea behind the book is to raise money for the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity which is building a centre at its Sutton hospital specially for children and young people who have cancer. All the proceeds from the sale go to the charity.

The story concerns a bear who is called Cheshire because his parents named him after his favourite food. Yes, of course as a bear he really should prefer honey, but he doesn't (he finds that too sticky!).

When he discovers the particular delights of cheese on toast, or Welsh Rarebit, he determines to go to Wales, by a National bus, where he finds a 24-hour caff run by Taff, a small man with a large moustache. They become friends, and Cheshire earns the meals during his stay by performing his act, singing his version of "My Way".

Alex Noel Watson said: "This is a fun story and I was delighted to provide the illustrations. The fact that John managed to get Martin Jarvis to record a CD to accompany the book is a tremendous boost, of course.

"Another fillip is that the book has a foreword by Gyles Brandreth, the former MP who appears on many radio and television shows, including The One Show, and is also the founder of the award-winning Teddy Bear Museum."

There are plans to have several book launches of this story, including one at a leading art gallery in the West End of London, Chris Beetles Gallery at the end of June; and another, most appropriately, at a specialist cheese shop in Lewes, Sussex, where John Henty lives.

Cheshire - the Cheese-Loving Bear! is published by Pomegranate Press at £7.95, and can be ordered on-line via www.royalmarsden.org. Copies can also be ordered from Natasha Cook, The Royal Marsden Hospital, Downs Road, Sutton, Surrey SM2 5PT. Cheques should be made payable to The Royal Marsden Cancer Hospital. All proceeds will go to the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity.